It’s time to dust off the cob webs of winter and start making plans for a spring trip to Dayton, OH for Hamvention 2018! This is billed as the world’s largest expo for Radio Amateurs since 1952. Hamvention will be held May 18, 19 and 20, 2018 at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center. It is worth the trip and a candy land of ham radio gear, as well as a smorgasbord of presentations presentations on topics of interest to Radio Amateurs. It’s worth the trip! Click here for a list of accommodations.

And, If you’re into QRP, check out Four Days In May (FDIM) noted as “the biggest and best QRP event in the World!” held in conjunction with Hamvention. FDIM will be held at the Holiday Inn Fairborn from Thurs., 5/17-19. (No rooms left at this inn.)

The Amateur Radio clubs at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) centers around the US have invited the Amateur Radio community to join the NASA On The Air (NOTA) special event. NOTA gets under way in December 2017 and continues through December 2018. In addition to being the agency’s 60th anniversary, 2018 will mark 50 years since NASA orbited the first human around the moon, and 20 years since the first elements of the International Space Station (ISS) were launched into low-Earth orbit. Starting in Dec. of 2017 Amateur Radio club stations at various NASA centers and facilities will be on the air with special event operations to celebrate these monumental achievements, as well as current milestones. Some clubs will offer commemorative QSL cards, and a special certificate will be available indicating the number of NASA club stations worked on various bands and modes.

ARRL International Grid Chase – New Year’s Eve to Dec. 31
An event for all radio amateurs. Taking part is as simple as just getting on the air and making contacts: The objective of the year-long event is to work stations on any band (except 60 meters) in as many different Maidenhead grid squares as possible, and then upload your logs to ARRL’s Logbook of The World (LoTW). All contacts on all permitted Amateur Radio bands, except 60 meters, are eligible for award credit. This includes contest contacts. ARRL Grid Chase site.

Baby it’s cold outside, but that shouldn’t stop you from working ham radio! Check out the Winter Field Day Assoc. event for camaraderie, field operation, emergency operating preparedness, and outdoor fun, all in the midst of winter! The last full weekend in January. https://www.winterfieldday.com.

Harrisburg Radio Amateurs Club WINTERFEST – Jan. 13
Harrisburg Radio Amateurs Club will host their 2018 WinterFest on Jan. 13, at the Vietnam Veterans of America (8000 Derry Street, Harrisburg). Admission is $3/person. Testing at 9:00am. Click here for flyer.